


Sunflower

by Jassmine



Series: The Starling and the Rake [4]
Category: Mansfield Park (1999), Mansfield Park - Jane Austen
Genre: Canon Compliant, Character Study, F/M, Falling In Love, Feelings, Introspection, Love Triangles, Marriage Proposal, Poor Life Choices, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:15:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23985163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jassmine/pseuds/Jassmine
Summary: Henry observed how Fanny watched Edmund, turning to him like sunflower turning to sun. Waiting for approval, acceptance, validation of her opinions.Based on the ending of Chapter II of Mansfield Park: "... but he recomended the books which charmed her leisure hours, he encouraged her taste, and corrected her judgment: he made reading useful by talking to her of what she read and heightened its attraction by judicious praise. In return for such services, she loved him better than anybody in the world except for William; her heart was divided between the two." and the few following chapters...
Relationships: Edmund Bertram & Fanny Price, Henry Crawford/Fanny Price
Series: The Starling and the Rake [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1726675
Comments: 8
Kudos: 21





	Sunflower

**Author's Note:**

> Please note, that english isn't my first language and I don't have a beta. I also didn't write anything in a long time and even before that... most of it really isn't worth to mention. So I will be glad for all your suggentions and comments on grammar (or whaterver else you feel like commenting).
> 
> This might be overly harsh to Edmund... I know he means well, but at the same time I feel that their relationship is very unbalanced and almost unhealthy. I can't help it... But I am determined to continue with exploration of his character, so there will probably be more...

Henry observed how Fanny watched Edmund, turning to him like sunflower turning to sun. Waiting for approval, acceptance, validation of her opinions. Always turning to him for advice and guidance. He looked at this brilliant, good, angel-like woman. Woman he would entrust his life to, woman so morally pure and pristine he was literally afraid to touch her – there might remain his black fingerprints. She was physically incapable of making a harmful decision. And still she turned to this unperfect man for reassurance.

He really didn’t want to criticise Edmund; he liked the man enough. Even though he was sort of stiff moralist, prone to lecturing and judging people. But he was always polite about that and was the harshest to himself, Henry could respect that. But Fanny loved him with all her heard, overlooking all his faults. He saw that love; he saw that it was only Edmund’s opinion that really mattered to her. And he was a little jealous of that, but that honestly isn’t the point.

It was the way Edmund influenced her that troubled him. The way he corrected her judgment and told her what to read. And it looked innocent at first, like their habit from childhood, but Fanny was no longer a child that needed to be led by Edmund’s strong hand. He saw her having her own opinions and then carefully stuffing them under the approved façade. He knew she could do better than just parrot Edmund’s opinions and believe them to be her own.

When he looks back at it, it’s rather bitter irony that the choice she decided to stand by was her refusal of his marriage proposal. He was obviously disappointed, but at the same time – He was never so proud of her.

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies to all Edmund lovers, but... I kind of love him too, he is more complex than he seems to be. I just don't think he is a good partner for Fanny.  
> I will be glad for all your suggentions and comments on grammar (or whaterver else you feel like commenting).


End file.
